NFL Draft Scouting Report: Brad Kaaya

Miami
Quarterback #15
Junior 6’4” 209

Can get the ball out of his hands quickly

Can make all the throws

Can extend plays with his feet

Footwork is still stiff

Brad Kaaya was a 4-star across the board coming out of high school in Los Angeles. He threw for 3,855 yards and 27 touchdowns his senior season. He chose to play quarterback for Miami. Kaaya was named the starting quarterback during training camp of his true freshman season and he didn’t look back. After his third year of starting for Miami and his first year under Mark Richt, he decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft.

Miami had its ups and downs this season. Kaaya showed moments of absolute brilliance, but his situation wasn’t ideal. Though Miami’s program is trending up, the ‘Canes’ roster is not ready to compete for an ACC Championship anytime soon. Kaaya and his receivers developed some chemistry during their careers but the offensive line play forced Kaaya to be quicker in the pocket both regarding his ability to move and his quickness releasing the ball. This could be a promising thing for Kaaya and the team who drafts him. Early in the play and shortly after the snap, Kaaya was aggressive in getting the ball out and delivering a sharp throw to his receivers.

Kaaya’s ability to get rid of the football allowed him to excel in the intermediate passing game. He often takes his drop and steps into his throws before the pass rush can affect him.

Kaaya has a tendency to throw to his first option. His poor offensive line taught him to get rid of the ball. Most of the time he threw a forced pass sooner than he had to. See the example below:

Kaaya spent most of his time in the Hurricane offense in the shotgun but showed his ability to get the ball out of his hands quickly under center. Below Kaaya shows his ability to throw a pass with a three step drop from under center.

And here out of the I-formation…

Kaaya does a lot of things well. When he struggled this season, rarely did it appear to be something that he did. Usually, it was due to poor offensive line play and the offense’s inability to run the football. Kaaya needs to improve his footwork but his starting point in the NFL regarding technique is significantly higher than most quarterbacks in this draft class.